Saturday, 6 September 2008

MA shed show day two: friday 5th sept: shedding the fear and taking the plunge

some of my documentation. unfortunately the internet couldn't be got to work in this building where my process work and this blog could be accessed so this looked rather minimal.i also didn't want to give away the final show visually so only the outside of the shed has appeared in the public display of the final show, the inside from a scratch show is inside an old sewing box, in the base drawer, like a suitcase or a shed, you open to find the hidden world within :) this is only presented for assessment.

ok- so today was a lot easier, pressure off, chance to get into the show more. i felt more comfortable with people in the big shed, more caring and precious about my suitcase, more comfortable in my storytelling.the cloud was lifting, phew! less objects in the suitcase definitely helped me be more precise and selective. i also found myself listening to myself better, matching the tone and fumbling more from the cat wreath to granddads story.

technical issue with the sheet- people not being able to put it up and see the image- need to add more instructions here, 'press the glass against the wall' and ask people what they can see before i leave the shed.the other issue that has arisen is the bookings- people are swapping/cancelling last minute- very annoying, however this has meant have had a few people just turning up which has been nice. i did one show for 4 people which felt much more comfortable, in a way this seems a more appropriate sized audience.

i also felt people with the framework of being asked to tell a story, enjoyed being in the little shed more and had something to say more- not that i am judging what people say just that they felt they has something they wanted to articulate.the pick a flower worked brilliantly- some people brought the plant in the pot and some took a flower form it- i liked this as some had chosen to ensure that the flowers life was not at risk and others, to be brutal, had decided to take it for their own gain and in doing so, mean it would die quicker, the latter meaning the plant labels truly becoming its gravestone, and also fit with the idea of a wreath laying live cut flowers which then die.this choice for the participants was opening up and making the work become more participatory as I was worrying it was purely interactive following my tasks.

the digital group shot is going ok- although some people have said its not obvious on such a small screen i am deleting the image- need to make this more obvious, and its also feeling a little disconnected from the whole show.hmmmmm. i decided that i would keep things the same for saturdays show and use sunday to review the whole event to date before embarking on a plan for the rest of the week for the show to evolve further.